The Emperor and Empress's love is heart-wrenching.
Shi Hui watched them from behind, inwardly grumbling.
If it weren't for Li Xingyi, the siblings wouldn't have ended up like that. Yes, it's all Li Xingyi's fault. I was doing it for their own good.
Thinking this, she even looked at Li Xingyi's back with a fierce expression. Shi Yan saw her gaze and sighed inwardly as she looked at Shi Hui.
Aunt... was it really the Li family's fault that things happened back then?
Li Xingyi noticed Shi Hui's gaze, but she said nothing.
Li Yanzhang nudged Ji Xi with his elbow and whispered, "Hey, Ji Xi, look at the way Empress Dowager Shi looks at us. It's like she wants to devour Xingyi. I really don't understand what she's thinking. Whenever something happens, it's all the Li family's fault."
Ji Xi said, "Alright, how could you possibly understand her thought process? Besides, wasn't it that incident that made her like this?"
Li Yanzhang thought for a moment and said, "That's true."
Upon arriving at Fengyi Palace, everyone saw Liang Qu sitting in the center of the main hall and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Your subject/son pays respects to the Empress Dowager/Mother."
Shi Hui found a seat and sat down. Liang Qu glanced at her and said, "Get up, everyone."
Qi Dou asked, "Mother, what brings you here?"
Liang Qu glanced at Shi Hui and said, "If I hadn't come soon, I'm afraid the Empress would have been wrongly accused and killed."
Qi Dou then asked, "Mother, how did you know?"
Liang Qutong: "You've made such a big fuss, it's hard not to hear. Alright, everyone, please sit down."
After Li Xingyi and Qi Dou sat down together, Liang Qu looked at Qi Min and said, "Huimin, tell me what happened?"
Qi Min glanced at Shi Hui, who said haughtily, "Min'er, speak."
Qi Min then recounted what happened the previous night, but deliberately omitted the kiss to save face.
Upon hearing this, Shi Hui stood up angrily and pointed at Ji Xi, saying, "Well, Ji Xi, you actually dared to let Min'er sleep on the city wall all night!"
Liang Qu advised, "Please sit down first."
Shi Hui snorted and sat down.
I'd like to see how you handle this!
Liang Qu looked at Ji Xi and said, "Ji Xi, tell me the reason."
Ji Xi knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I drank alcohol last night, and I don't remember what happened."
That's true. Ji Xi woke up with a splitting headache and couldn't remember anything that happened last night. It was Qi Min who told him today, since a princess of a country wouldn't joke about her innocence.
Qi Min was furious upon hearing this and said, "You! How dare you say you don't remember!"
Seeing this, Li Yanzhang couldn't help but sigh.
They really look like mother and son.
Liang Qu then looked at Qi Min and asked, "Hui Min, what did you originally intend to do?"
Qi Min said, "Your subject originally intended to arrest him and put him in jail, but later, because of the Emperor's sister-in-law's face, he decided to have him beaten a hundred times."
After hearing this, Liang Qu sighed and said, "One hundred strokes of the cane is indeed too much. How about fifty strokes? Ji Xi, you will also have to pay the price for what you have done."
Ji Xi lowered his head and said, "Yes."
Li Yanzhang thought about what had happened in the past few days and felt puzzled.
Am I a jinx? Why are all the people around me getting some kind of minor injury lately? I'll get out my precious medicine for Ji Xi to apply later!
Qi Min said somewhat reluctantly, "Mother..."
Shi Hui immediately retorted sarcastically, "That's it?"
Liang Qu glanced at her and said, "What else do you want?"
Shi Hui said, "Naturally, we should cut off his head!"
Qi Dou then spoke up, "That's enough. Punish Ji Xi with fifty strokes of the cane."
Shi Hui fell silent. After all, Qi Dou's birth mother was there, and she knew the difference in importance between herself and her birth mother. Seeing that she was silent, Liang Qu said, "Guards, take Ji Xi away and give him fifty lashes."
Two palace servants stepped forward and took Ji Xi away, as the board fell.
Qi Min's heart tightened. She was a little afraid that Ji Xi would die like this. She didn't actually want him to die; she just wanted to vent her anger. But when the time came, she regretted it.
A series of "slap! slap!" sounds came from outside, and Qi Min couldn't bear it and tightly closed her eyes.
I... I was just seeking justice for myself. It wasn't my fault; he brought it on himself.
Li Xingyi could only lower her eyes and remain silent. Seeing this, Qi Dou took Li Xingyi's hand, as if to tell her that everything was alright.
Li Yanzhang prayed silently.
It sounds so painful, Ji Xi, you have to hang in there!
Liang Qu quietly counted the beads one by one as he held the Buddhist prayer beads, while Shi Hui picked up the tea on the table and slowly took a sip.
Seeing that the fifty strokes of the cane were almost finished, they still hadn't heard Ji Xi utter a single shout.
Seeing this, Li Yanzhang panicked.
Ji Xi, you have to hold on! You didn't faint on the first try, did you? That shouldn't be happening! Oh no, what should I do?
He was so anxious he didn't know what to do and could only pray that Ji Xi was still alive. Qi Minxin was also in her throat.
Li Xingyi looked at Qi Dou and said, "Your Majesty..."
Qi Dou whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, they won't kill Ji Xi. This will teach Ji Xi a lesson."
Furong asked Shiyan worriedly, "Your Highness, will Young Master Ji be alright?"
Shi Yan looked outside and said, "It should... be alright."
Shi Hui said proudly, "Wow, the tea here is actually quite good."
No one paid any attention to her, and Shi Hui, feeling awkward, continued drinking her tea.
Finally, the beating was over. Li Yanzhang was the first to rush outside. He looked at Ji Xi, who was lying on the long bench, where he had been beaten until his flesh was a bloody mess.
He squatted down to examine Ji Xi, who smiled when he saw Li Yanzhang: "How about that? I'm still pretty good, aren't I? I didn't utter a sound even after being given fifty lashes."
Tears streamed down Li Yanzhang's face involuntarily. He said, "You still have the nerve to laugh? If you keep laughing and talking, I won't give you my precious medicine."
Ji Xi laughed and said, "What? You want to see me cry so badly? Look at yourself, a grown man, why are you crying?"
Li Yanzhang wiped away his tears and stubbornly said, "I wasn't crying, I just got sand in my eyes."
Ji Xi smiled helplessly and said, "Alright, it's sand. Young Master Li, could you help me up?"
As Li Yanzhang helped him up, he said, "I'm helping you up, what are your thoughts?"
Ji Xi pretended to think and said, "I am willing to serve you like a slave, young master?"
Li Yanzhang placed his hand on his shoulder and supported him, saying, "Who asked you to be a slave? You should behave properly and stay by my side."
Ji Xi teased, "Then wouldn't that mean I'd have to be your wife?"
Li Yanzhang said, "You're asking for it..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Min was standing in front of him.
Seeing this, Qi Min hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to speak: "Are you... alright?"
Li Yanzhang found it ironic and said, "It's alright, it's alright, he's still alive. Is Your Highness disappointed?"
Ji Xi smacked him and said, "Don't talk nonsense."
Qi Min tried to explain, "I...I didn't mean that, I..."
She didn't know what to say, so she simply said, "Never mind, just focus on recovering!"
Li Xingyi came out and asked, "Is he alright?"
Ji Xi's heart raced as soon as he saw Li Xingyi. He said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am fine."
Seeing the difference in Ji Xi's attitude towards her and towards Li Xingyi, Qi Min couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Am I really that annoying? It wasn't my fault at all...
Seeing the way Ji Xi was looking at Li Xingyi, Shi Hui said, "Watch your manners! His Majesty is still here! Min'er, let's go."
After saying that, he pulled Qi Min away.
Qi Min glanced back at Ji Xi as she walked, and Ji Xi immediately lowered his head upon hearing this.
Then, as if he had thought of something, he raised his head and said to Qi Min, "Wait a moment, Your Highness, I'm sorry about what happened last night. Also, Yan Zhang didn't mean it. He was just worried about me, so he spoke without thinking. I hope Your Highness will forgive him."
Qi Min paused for a moment after hearing this, then said, "It's alright, you've already been punished anyway, as for him..."
At this point, she looked at Li Yanzhang and said, "This princess is not that petty."
Shi Hui looked at them and said, "Only Min'er is kind-hearted. You should all take care of yourselves."
After saying that, he pulled Qi Min out of Fengyi Palace.
Qi Dou, holding Li Xingyi's hand, said to Ji Xi, "I will send someone to deliver medicine to you. Your injury will probably take several months to heal. You don't need to take up your post during this time. I will grant you leave."
Upon hearing this, Li Yanzhang immediately said, "Your Majesty, could you also grant me a leave of absence? I wish to go and take care of Ji Xi."
Qi Dou looked at Li Xingyi and asked, "Xingyi, what do you think?"
Li Xingyi said calmly, "Your Majesty can make the decision."
Qi Dou whispered in her ear, "But I want you to decide."
Looking at Li Yanzhang's expectant eyes, Li Xingyi said, "Then let's do it this way. Brother will work in the morning and take care of Ji Xi in the afternoon."
Upon hearing this, Li Yanzhang immediately exclaimed, "No! Your Majesty, how could you do this?"
He complained inwardly.
I already have trouble getting up in the morning, and now that I'm in charge of the morning shift, I'll have to get up early every day!
Li Xingyi said calmly, "Brother, you need to get some exercise. Besides, Ji Xi has servants to take care of him at home. It's already quite good that he doesn't have to work this afternoon."
Qi Dou said, "Then let's do it according to Xingyi's plan."
Seeing the two of them so intimately connected, Ji Xi felt that the pain in his heart was nothing compared to the physical pain. He forced a whisper in Li Yanzhang's ear, "Let's... go!"
Li Yanzhang bowed and said, "Then I will take my leave with Ji Xi."
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